Chapter 197: Players Assemble, Wrecking Subjugation Begins (Patreon)

"Then why don't we skip magic and use real gunpowder instead? Wouldn't that work?"

Natsuka's eyelid twitched.

"Gunpowder? You mean cannons? Can that thing actually hit Juggernaut?"

It wasn't that he doubted the firepower of cannons. It was that Juggernaut could casually reap Lv4 adventurers at terrifying speed. Anything slower than a near-sonic attack might not even touch it. Not to mention that the cannons Sora had been tinkering with usually needed to be loaded and lit. Could that kind of half-beat-slow tempo really hold up at this level?

Sora's reply was as steady as ever.

"There's a term for this: saturation fire. Also. Don't underestimate the prediction skills of the world's best FPS player."

Half a second later, another line followed.

"Besides, I recently made a real beauty out of Flame Stone."

Reading that, Natsuka stopped hesitating.

"Fine. Boss, I'll leave this side to you."

He had never objected much to Sora's plans. The more methods they had, the better their odds. Besides, the players weren't ordinary adventurers to begin with. They could not only bring a bit of physics-level shock to the DanMachi world, but also deliver the terror of the Fourth Calamity along with it.

Natsuka folded his arms and paced the room a couple of times.

"I still need to prepare a fallback. If something goes wrong midway, the reinforcements and trump cards have to be arranged in advance."

He dropped his pen, pulled out a Flying Thunder God Kunai, and opened a space. The next second, he turned into a streak of starlight and vanished from the office.

School District. A certain teacher's office.

The moment Natsuka landed, he dropped to the floor without a word and bowed his head to the ground.

"That's the gist of it. Teacher Leon—no, Boss! I'm begging you, save us, just look at me!"

Behind the desk, Leon was holding a glass of wine. He heard this out, took a slow sip of "Zero-Five-Zero," and his expression barely changed.

"Right now I'm only a teacher, and a guide. I have no reason to meddle in the disputes between Orario's Familias."

Natsuka immediately resumed his dive-bombing flattery.

"Boss Leon, you're the most popular teacher in the entire School District! My admiration for you is like a mighty river, flowing on without end! Besides, you wouldn't want to see such adorable students get hurt, would you? Don't worry. The real work of crushing evil will be done by Astraea Familia. All I ask is that if something truly goes wrong in the Dungeon, you step in as a teacher at the last moment and pull them out. And I've prepared quite thoroughly on my end. If all goes well, it won't even come down to you."

Leon's temples were practically throbbing. But when it came down to it, the School District did owe Natsuka a considerable favor.

That Memory Reverie instance device had improved the School District enormously. Students who used to wander outside all year, unable to dive deep into the Dungeon, could now train and grow just as they would in Orario. It directly affected the quality of the next batch of graduates. And that, in turn, bore on the future efficiency of hunting more sea monsters and Dragon Valley monsters. In a sense, it even indirectly delayed the day the Bell of the End would toll.

Thinking of that, Leon finally set down his glass.

"Understood. I'll observe the students' battle as their chaperone."

A grin spread across Natsuka's face, like a fox that had stolen a chicken.

"Heh, then I'll notify you when we set out."

…

Just past noon, Natsuka returned to the city and headed straight for The Benevolent Mistress. Ryuu was the absolute core of the whole plan. There were things he had to tell her ahead of time. But he also knew full well that he was probably in for a thorough tongue-lashing.

"Whatever. If I get scolded, I get scolded."

But when he reached the tavern, there was no sign of Ryuu.

"Huh? Master, Ryuu's not here today?"

A deafening clang of pots came from the kitchen. The sound made his eardrums tremble.

"Hmph! It's all your fault, you brat! That girl's been getting more rebellious lately, disappearing on me every other day! When that idiot gets back, I'm docking her pay, no question!"

She talked tough. But anyone could tell she was actually worried.

Syr came over holding a tray, a hint of concern on her face.

"Ryuu was here this morning. But around noon she seemed to get some kind of message, and she slipped out quietly. She only left a letter."

She handed the letter to Natsuka.

"We don't know where she went…"

Natsuka took the letter and looked down. There was only one line on it.

"I'm sorry, Syr. And everyone."

The corner of his mouth twitched. Somehow the line felt oddly familiar. But he quickly grasped the key point. It seemed the other side had already made their move, and faster than he'd imagined.

Syr held the tray, her voice soft and uneasy.

"I just heard from some passing adventurers that someone has raised the bounty on Gale again."

A higher bounty meant more and more people would go after her, especially the money-hungry bounty hunters of the black market. The trouble was bigger than expected.

Natsuka's expression darkened.

"Got it. Leave this to me."

He turned and left as soon as he'd said it. But at the door, he inexplicably paused for half a second.

"I think she's most likely gone into the Dungeon. I'll go find her."

Dropping those words, Natsuka strode off. He wasn't sure whether Syr would arrange a backup in secret. But having one was better than not. Who ever complained about having too many trump cards?

After returning to Stardust Garden, Natsuka rechecked the gear he'd long since prepared, piece by piece. He put on his [Leg-Strength Enhancement Boots], which had been modified with a second round of mithril enchantment. Then he checked his stock of Flying Thunder God Kunai. With everything in order, he casually contacted Sora.

"How's it going on your end?"

"About three more hours."

Sora's voice came through the terminal, calm.

Natsuka worked out the time in his head. At Ryuu's pace, it would take at least three hours or so from now until she reached Rivira. There was still time.

"Okay. Then I'll head out first."

With that, he switched chat channels and posted a message directly on the public forum.

[Special Event Instance: Dark Annihilation Battle. Now officially open.]

Then he added one more line.

[All little players, assemble immediately.]

[We're starting the raid.]

…

Afternoon. Whether they were farming monsters in the Dungeon, wandering the shopping streets, hammering iron in the Forge workshops, slacking off in taverns, busy in Knossos, or even mixed in among the Loki Familia, the little players all felt their [ST] ring at nearly the same moment. In perfect sync, they raised their hands and tapped open the message.

On the screen, a new large-scale event expansion popped up.

[Major Event Expansion: Hoofprints of Justice]

Detailed instructions followed below.

The mastermind has appeared once more. The culprit who once destroyed Astraea Familia is now preparing a new conspiracy centered on [Gale]. As the new generation of champions of justice carrying on the will of those before you, you must restore the name of justice and smash the villains' heads with an iron hammer.

The mission objectives could not have been clearer.

First. Find and assist [Gale] in killing members of the dark faction, with the key target being [Slaver Cat] Jura.

Second. Kill the Floor Boss Amphisbaena to eliminate the unstable factors outside the event.

Third. Subdue the [Destroyer] Juggernaut. The attached monster codex has been updated.

There were also several side objectives. Stop unwitting adventurers from entering the battlefield. Transport strategic supplies and deploy them to strategic points. Gather intelligence.

And after that, a densely packed list of rewards. Contribution. Valis. Magic items. Grimoires.

After reading the announcement, the whole crowd erupted on the spot.

"Holy crap, isn't this just a new instance opening up?"

"Are you stupid? This is the real world. Where would an instance come from?"

"But this thing really looks like an instance!"

"Hmph, the time has come. It's time for the Tyrant's Eye to truly descend!"

"For the great revival of Astraea, I shall bring down the Hammer of Justice. Death!"

"The chapter of good versus evil has finally begun!"

"Restoring Astraea's glory starts today!"

"The game has begun—!"

…

Dusk. Rivira.

After several hours of trekking, the vanguard squad carrying supplies and weapons finally made it through layer upon layer of passages and reached this underground town. The main force that followed arrived one after another through the teleport anchor near the hot springs. With nearly twenty people standing together, the group was already sizable.

Natsuka crossed his arms over his chest and slowly swept his gaze across every face. Then he spoke.

"This is our Familia's first official large-scale operation. You can think of it as a real expedition in every sense."

The wind swept past the hot springs, carrying a damp warmth, and delivered his words clearly to every ear.

"But before we begin, I need to apologize to everyone first. Because of strategic necessity, this time we have to use you as pieces on the board. When necessary, there may even be the option of sacrificing a piece."

His tone was calm as he said it. And precisely because it was calm, it felt all the heavier.

"But this is war. So from now on, I want everyone to follow the commander's deployments strictly."

When he finished, he looked toward a few people in the squad: Makise Kurisu, Kitagawa, Saori, Utaha, and Mori-sama, who had already formed a contract with a Sprite. Even these people, who rarely went to the battlefield, had been dragged aboard this time.

But to Natsuka's mild surprise, there was no visible reluctance on their faces. It was reality, no doubt. But to them, it also felt like some kind of hyper-real game. They wouldn't truly die, and most of the pain was blocked out. The psychological burden was naturally much lighter.

This reaction also gave Natsuka more confidence. He suddenly raised an arm, his voice surging upward.

"Comrades! We may still be weak right now. Maybe many of you have only been in this world a short while. Not to mention that compared with those veteran adventurers, the gap is still huge. But—we are players! We are the Fourth Calamity! And courage and not fearing death are our hardest weapons!"

His voice rang out through the air. Even the water mist churning by the hot springs seemed to stir with it.

"This operation will decide the whole future development of our Familia. So, comrades, bring out your convictions and your guts! Restoring Astraea's glory starts right now!"

The next second, the little players burst out in an excited roar, all at once.

"Ohhhhhh—!"

Natsuka swept a hand through the air.

"Good. All units, act according to plan."

As soon as he finished, the crowd scattered and rushed off toward their assigned positions.

Deep night. Steam hung over the hot springs, the surrounding lamps casting a dim yellow glow. Natsuka flipped through the intelligence the players sent back one after another, his expression sinking bit by bit.

"As expected. The negative rumors about Ryuu have already spread across Rivira."

Beside him, Sora was looking down and fiddling with a handheld console, his tone offhand.

"Once the black market raised the bounty, some of the hunters who'd been neutral couldn't sit still anymore. Once the wind changes direction, the whole town follows. At this rate, their next step should be the killing blow."

Natsuka glanced at Sora. Playing a handheld in a virtual reality world. However you looked at it, the picture was subtly off. He held back the retort and kept asking.

"How do you think they'll make their move?"

The corner of Sora's mouth curved slightly, as if he'd thought of something amusing. He turned the console screen toward him.

"What a coincidence. This storyline fits the current situation pretty well."

Natsuka looked down. On the screen was a murder suspect pointed at by everyone. His mind turned fast, and he caught on right away.

"You mean they want to mobilize the adventurers of Rivira?"

That was indeed quite possible. After all, in the original course of events, Jura had used a similar trick.

Sora nodded.

"If they want the plan to go off without a hitch, step one is to muddy the waters. The messier it gets, the easier it is for them to strike. Judging from what they're doing now, they're at the stage of smearing her name."

The moment he finished speaking, the town in the distance, sunk in darkness until now, suddenly lit up with a wide sweep of firelight. One torch after another was lit. A clamor erupted all at once, as if the whole town had woken up.

Just then, a black ghostly figure silently surfaced behind Natsuka. The next second, Megumi Kato's form slowly solidified out of the shadows.

"Captain."

Her voice was as calm as ever, but there was a hint of worry in her eyes that she couldn't quite suppress.

"News just came from over there. People have died in Rivira. At one inn, nearly all the guests were killed."

She paused, then softly added one last line.

"Everyone's saying it was [Gale] who did it."

Natsuka drew a breath, and his eyes turned colder.

"Ruthless enough."

Then he frowned.

"But wiping out a whole inn without a sound isn't something Jura could do alone."

Shiro lifted her head beside them, her eyes a little lost.

"Enemy… strong?"

Sora didn't look up. He let Shiro help with the controls while smiling and ruffling her hair.

"Not underestimating the enemy is a good thing. But thinking the opponent is too powerful will tie your own hands."

Shiro tilted her head, more confused than before.

"So, they're actually weak?"

Sora's smile didn't fade.

"Weak or not is another matter. But those guys are a bunch of lunatics. No one knows how far they'd go to achieve their goal."

Hearing this, Natsuka's eye twitched, and it all clicked in his head.

"You mean… They did the cutting themselves? Damn, that's dirty."

Sora's fingers kept clicking away at the console, his head still down.

"I didn't say that."

On the screen, the final deduction scene had just popped up.

…

Rivira.

Bors led nearly all the town's resident adventurers in a dense crowd to the front door of the inn that looked like it had been attacked. The air reeked of blood. The wooden door was shattered, and the ground was covered with drag marks and signs of a struggle. Plenty of people changed color after just a glance or two.

Bors stood at the very front, his face grim.

"The survivors said it themselves. It was [Gale] who attacked this place. Fifteen people died."

The moment he said it, the crowd behind him broke into an uproar. People exchanged glances, their murmuring too loud to suppress.

Bors himself had a headache over it. As the "old-timer" everyone in Rivira had pushed forward to run things, he was fine at handling miscellaneous matters.